Tories force debate over Wright/Duffy inquiry behind closed doors

If Liberal MP Scott Andrews gets his way, the PM may soon find himself on the
receiving end of an official invitation to appear before a House committee to
discuss that now notorious $90,000 Senate expense repayment plan between his
former chief of staff Nigel Wright and embattled Senator Mike Duffy.

Later today, Andrews, the lone Liberal member of the ethics
committee, will get his first -- and, most likely, only -- opportunity to
convince his colleagues to back his all for a full parliamentary investigation
into the circumstances surrounding the "conduct of officials in the Prime
Minister's Office in this process."

Senate internal economy committee chair David Tkachuk, who recently confirmed to Macleans reporter Aaron Wherry that he
did, indeed, speak with Wright, as well as other unspecified PMO officials
throughout committee deliberations on the Duffy report.

The full text of the Andrews motion:

That the Committee hold hearings on the conduct of public office holders
in relation to the handling of the repayment of Senate expenses by Senator Mike
Duffy and the conduct of officials in the Prime Minister`s Office in this
process, and that the witness list include but not be limited
to:

And that, in the context of this study, the Committee table a report in
the House asking that the House send a message to the Senate requesting the
appearance before the Committee of the following Senators:

• Senator Mike Duffy• Senator David Tkachuk• Senator Marjory
LeBreton

In any case, barring a sudden change of protocol on the Conservative side of the table, however, that discussion, as well as any subsequent vote, will almost certainly be held behind closed doors, thus leaving the ultimate fate of the motion officially unknown.

UPDATE: As predicted, despite a surprise floor-seizing midway through witness questioning, Andrews' efforts to force the government side to vote down his proposal in full view of the cameras was ultimately thwarted; although he did manage to put his case for holding public hearings into the conduct of the PM's current and former staff on the record.

Interestingly, before moving the expected motion to take the matter behind closed doors, Conservative MP Chris Warkentin, who has become the de facto lead for his party at Ethics, did hint that his colleagues might be willing to support the pitch if it was expanded to cover those current and former Liberal MPs caught in rental expense-related rule breaches a few years back.

In any case, we'll have to wait for the minutes to come out to find out the dramatic conclusion. Stay tuned!

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About the Author

Kady O'Malley has been covering the Hill for more than a decade (yes, really) for a variety of publications. An Ottawa girl (not quite born, but raised), she has a passion for politics that borders on the unhealthy, and has liveblogged her way through hundreds of committee meetings, press conferences, judicial inquiries, budget launches, cabinet shuffles, and even the odd constitutional crisis. Oh, and yes, her Boston Terrier really is named "BlackBerry."
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